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| Mtutuzeli Hlomela | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Place of birth | South Africa | ||
| Height | 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Eldorado Park | ||
| Playing career | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1998 | Sturt Football Club | 2 (0) | |
| International team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2002, 2005 | South Africa | 2 (?) | |
Mtutuzeli Hlomela is the captain of the South African national Australian rules football team (Buffaloes) and since 2005 head coach of AFL South Africa and is of the most successful Aussie Rules players/coaches to come out of South Africa.
AFL South Africa is the governing body and federation for Australian rules football in South Africa. Aussie Rules as is known in Australia pride itself in South Africa as an all-inclusive sport accommodating people of any form of background or affiliation.
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and, with over 57 million people, is the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White), Asian (Indian), and multiracial (Coloured) ancestry.
Mtutu had played soccer at junior level and at age 17, won a "football" scholarship through the South Australian and Western Cape sports ministries. Mistakenly believing his application was a soccer position, and he was able to pass his interview from a quick crash course in the sport.
South Australia is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of 983,482 square kilometres (379,725 sq mi), it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, and fifth largest by population. It has a total of 1.7 million people, and its population is the second most highly centralised in Australia, after Western Australia, with more than 77 percent of South Australians living in the capital, Adelaide, or its environs. Other population centres in the state are relatively small; Mount Gambier, the second largest centre, has a population of 28,684.
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of 129,449 square kilometres (49,981 sq mi), and the third most populous, with an estimated 6.6 million inhabitants in 2018. About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of Cape Town, which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the former Cape Province.
Arriving in Adelaide, Mtutu was able to successfully convert from soccer to Australian Football, playing for the Sturt Football Club in the South Australian National Football League. [1]
Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia, and the fifth-most populous city of Australia. In June 2017, Adelaide had an estimated resident population of 1,333,927. Adelaide is home to more than 75 percent of the South Australian population, making it the most centralised population of any state in Australia.
The Sturt Football Club, nicknamed The Double Blues, is a semi-professional Australian rules football club based in the suburb of Unley, South Australia, which plays in the South Australian National Football League.
The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL, is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia.
The 167 cm, 72 kg, Hlomela, nicknamed "Tutu" and "Clifford" had developed accurate kicking and skilled ball handling, charismatic leadership qualities and a passion for the game.
After a season at Under 19 level in 1998 as part of his scholarship, Tutu returned to South Africa where he played for Eldorado Park in AFL South Africa.
Mtutu represented his country as part of the national team that competed in both the 2002 and 2005 Australian Football International Cups as captain/coach, where his outstanding performances earned him a spot on the All-International team.
The 2002 Australian Football International Cup was the inaugural international Australian rules football tournament held in Melbourne, Australia in 2002.
The 2005 Australian Football International Cup was the second time that the Australian Football International Cup tournament, an international Australian rules football competition was held.
Mtutu was appointed AFL Development Manager for the Gauteng Province, where he successful in introducing thousands of young children to the sport.
In 2005, he was appointed the full-time position of head coach of AFL South Africa.
Among his coaching honours are:
- The junior Buffaloes at the 2006 Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament
- The Buffaloes to surprise victory against the Australian Convicts in February 2007
- The South African Under 19 team on their indigenous tour to Australia in February 2007
- The senior Buffaloes squad against the Australian Institute of Sport Under 17 team from Australia in 2007
